World Health Organization (WHO)/Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Collaborating Centre on implementation research in nutrition and global policy and Cochrane.
Scope and purpose
The World Health Organization (WHO) follows a guideline development process, described in detail in the WHO Handbook for Guideline Development (2nd edition), overseen by the Guidelines Review Committee (GRC) established by the Director-General in 2007. The WHO Guidelines Review Committee ensures that WHO guidelines are of high methodological quality, developed using a transparent and explicit process, and are informed on high-quality systematic reviews of the evidence using state-of-the-art systematic search strategies, synthesis, quality assessments, and methods.
The WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety has worked with the Cochrane editorial office and various groups within the Cochrane to produce systematic reviews for WHO nutrition guidelines since 2010. This allows for faster and prioritized
completion of systematic reviews on the effects of interventions that contribute towards guideline development.
Cochrane is a global network of more than 37 000 people from over 130 countries working together to produce credible, accessible health information that is free from commercial
sponsorship and other conflicts of interest and help health-care providers, policy-makers, and patients, their advocates, and caregivers make well-informed decisions about health care. It hosts the Cochrane Library and CENTRAL, the largest collection
of records of randomized controlled trials in the world. On 24 January 2011, WHO awarded Cochrane a seat on the World Health Assembly, allowing the collaboration to provide input on WHO health resolutions.
In order to further increase capacity in
systematic review methodology among nutrition scientists and practitioners, Cornell University, a WHO/Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Collaborating Centre on implementation research in nutrition and global policy, together with WHO, PAHO and Cochrane, has convened the Summer Institute for systematic reviews in nutrition for global policy-making in Ithaca, NY, United States of America since 2014. The 7th Annual Summer Institute will be held on 20-31 July 2020.
The WHO/Cochrane/Cornell University Summer Institute for systematic reviews in nutrition for global policy-making is intended for nutrition scientists and practitioners from various fields with interest in the application of scientific evidence
in policy-making. Applications from women and nationals of low- and middle-income countries are particularly encouraged. Partial financial support is available from WHO for a limited number of accepted participants.
The learning objectives are:
- To develop and update technical skills and knowledge in systematic reviews of nutrition and nutrition-sensitive interventions
- To build an understanding of the process for global policy-making in nutrition
- To complete hands-on training in the development of Cochrane systematic reviews on a topic of immediate global health relevance in nutrition and public health
To date, the Summer Institute has trained about 148 nutrition experts who have contributed to the registration of over 30 reviews, with some reviews already in use to inform national and international guidelines and World Health Assembly resolutions. The Cochrane Nutrition Field recently published a case study about the Institute.
For additional information, please see the Summer Institute website (click here).
To apply, please submit the following
materials to our online system:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Letter of interest stating the following:
- Your area of interest
- Whether you will work on an existing protocol (to be assigned by organizers prior to arrival at the Institute), or whether you wish to propose a topic (if you intend to propose a topic, please describe how you will identify collaborators)
- Sponsorship/mentor approval
- Commitment to complete a review and a description of the skills you bring to the workshop and your goals in attending
- Financial support that will be provided to you and by whom
- Names of two colleagues providing a letter of reference for you
- Have you previously applied to the Summer Institute? If so, when and what was the decision?
- Reference letters may submitted by writers, OR uploaded by the applicant on the writers' behalf, through our online system. These letters should specifically address your research and technical skills, and your readiness for the Institute.
We will begin accepting applications 1 January 2020 through our online system*. We will process applications until our closing date of 1 April 2020; earlier applications are encouraged.
The Institute will process applications as they are received, therefore on a rolling basis, and will close the class when the limit of participants is reached. Once accepted, participants will receive a link with additional information for registration.
For further information and application instruction visit this link: http://who-cochrane-cornell-summer-institute.nutrition.cornell.edu/ or email inquiries to: summerinstitute@cornell.edu
*Note: please use the email address above if you have any questions about the application process